Audio-Technica • AT-LP7 Turntable $799 Review

“The ‘LP7’s superb tracking and lively, distortion-free retrieval of detail were consistent regardless of the record, even some discs whose innermost tracks proved to be a challenge for my 20-year-old Rega P3. However, dynamics sounded constricted and the soundstage was smaller than I was accustomed to hearing when using my reference. When I switched off the ‘LP7’s phono stage and connected directly to the far more expensive tube phono stage of my preamp, the ‘LP7’s presentation blossomed and bloomed; instruments and the surrounding space became more three-dimensional, and dynamics reached a much grander scale. Anyone who purchases the ‘LP7 should note that this humble ‘table clearly has a reserve of impressive performance potential that can be unlocked with the upgrade to a separate phono stage down the road. The same is true of Audio-Technica’s stock RCA cables and grounding wire. By replacing them with Shunyata Research’s flagship Sigma phono and grounding cables, I found that the ‘LP7 delivered far more micro detail than I thought possible in this price range. While I don’t suggest breaking the bank on interconnects, it’s clear that the ‘LP7 has plenty of potential for those willing to tweak.”